Thank Mom With Homemade Gift Certificates This Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a time to thank your mom and/or your spouse for all that they've done throughout the year and to remind them that you love them. It is becoming more and more common to "cop out" and go with a gift certificate for a number of occasions, especially where you might not necessarily know the recipient. However, your mother is your mother and a traditional gift certificate is not the best way to say, "I love you."

What follows is a list of gift certificates that are perhaps more original than a card from a box store. They may pertain to the spouse or the child or both:

1. Dinner made by you (and your kids).

2. A date for something you might not enjoy nearly as much as she does (like a museum, live show etc.).

3. Spring cleaning from a maid service (or if you're on a budget, by you).

4. A six pack of car washes. This is something that can be a ton of fun for you and the kids!

5. "I promise to ___ (insert thing you keep promising to do and never deliver on)" by this date. This is one of those things that probably doesn't cost anything but will mean a lot to Mom.

6. Kid specific: I promise to eat my vegetables for a week. (Wouldn't it be great if this one wasn't necessary.)

7. A day at the garden center. This is probably an activity your wife loves to go on and would probably love to go with you if you do not normally go.

8. Night out with the girls for the activity of her choice. This one might set you back a bit so avoid it if you're on a budget.

9. Movie marathon night - the movies she wants to watch.

10. A card with a dollar amount (whatever is in your budget) that is to go toward "the dream trip" you've been talking about forever. You could have a jar or even a new bank account and this might take several Mother's Days to accrue the cash, but won't it be a great story when you get there!